Finger foods for babies without teeth

[justonesherryformedicinalpurpo]

LO is 9mo. With my first I did pureed foods which worked well for her. DC2 not so much. She is definitely a finger food lover! (Unless it's yoghurt and soup!)

She has no teeth yet so I am just wondering what foods are suitable without teeth? I know gums are very hard but as this is new for me I want to know I am doing the right thing.

So far steamed veg, cucumber sticks, cheese sticks, chicken, sweet potato chips, banana and cheesy egg have gone down well but if you can offer more suggestions please do! Nothing is obvious to me atm!

I am also going to try buttered toast and cream cheese sandwiches. And mash.

Also are there certain foods that you think would be best as small chunks rather than sticks please advise.

Thank you!

My second totally rejected purees and just wanted what we ate, lack of teeth didn't seem to bother her. When I was stuck for inspiration I borrowed this book from our library, not sure I'd pay £8.99 for it though.

Have you found the MN Weaning Talk yet? You might get some more ideas in there

Gums are hard and can chew pretty much everything! Pretty much whatever you're eating is fair game - honey, shellfish and blue cheese were the only things that were ill advised when my youngest was that age.

Lasagne (scooped up in hands and shovelled in), corn on the cob (gnawed), pancakes/fritters (basic pancakey batter with fruit or veg thrown in - sweet corn, courgette and fruity (not combined!)), Fishcakes, Arancini and cubes of bread, cheese, peas and raisins were alway popular with my 2.

Lack of teeth didn't stop either of my two from eating anything - their gums are really quite hard.

DS is just 7 months and has no teeth. Finger foods he's done well with so far are banana, thin slices of apple, whole strawberries, strips of cheese/sliced babybel, chicken leg meat, well steamed carrots, brocolli, cauliflower, sweet potato wedges, toast, pancakes, strips of omelette.

I've found that doing things in thin slices rather than fingers / chunks is working better at the moment. Anything soft like mash is resulting in lots of fun slamming his hands in it and throwing it around but absolutely no attempt at eating it!

DS only got his first tooth at 13 months. At 14.5 he still only has 1 and a bit teeth and it's no hindrance to him. All sorts of vegetables, meat, pasta etc. All seems fine!

Thanks for all the responses! I feel a lot more confident about this now!

Love the pancake idea as very versatile!

Actually looking forward to it now as opposed to originally being terrified!

I think you're doing a wonderful job! Excellent, healthy options for your little one!

I did baby led weaning with ds1 and will with ds 2 when ready. So finger foods from six months, no teeth at all. We did broccoli and cauliflower florets. French toast, toady with mashed avocado on, jam, cheese on toast. Omelette. Banana, with some skin left on as a handle. Pancakes made with one egg, handful of oats, half mashed banana. Some people do strips of meat but my little boy never liked them. Cheese is a favourite. Toasted hot cross buns. Pasta with variety of sauces. I'm sure there's loads more....